~Guest post by: Aroma Coffee Co. Co-Owner, Sara Cox
On Saturday, September 14th, Aroma Coffee Co. will host an Annual Block Party to celebrate our fourth birthday. This year, we are pausing to humbly reflect on the wild ride it’s been thus far.
After 12 years of attempting to launch Aroma, we were shocked to finally receive building permits as COVID-19 hit its first deadly peak in 2020. All the evidence suggested that opening a restaurant now – when food service businesses were closing right and left – was a fool’s errand.
Yet, we felt strangely resolute that we needed to take a leap of faith that this dream might become a reality. What we found was that, in many ways, there was no better time to open a business aimed at fostering gathering and connection than during a pandemic resulting in widespread isolation. Having a place for lonely neighbors to safely meet on outdoor porches and spaced out around our large backyard saved many of us during those dark months.
When we turned 1 in 2021, the world was beginning the slow crawl out of the pandemic, and we were overwhelmed with gratitude at the stunning ways the community had rallied around us during our first year. For any business, the earliest months are the most volatile and fragile, yet we were flooded with support.
From the moment we opened our doors until now, we have felt the most generous welcome, and the fact that we arrived at our first birthday unscathed by many of the perils faced by other businesses was not lost on us. The only fitting response seemed to be to throw a party for the community to say “thank you.”
And the thank-yous haven’t stopped since. The support hasn’t slowed; it has only swelled, and we now consider so many who were strangers four years ago to be true friends. It is time for another party, another celebration, and another pause for sharing our gratitude!
Perhaps fittingly, we will do so as we grapple with yet another new challenge facing not only Aroma but all small businesses in King County, as legislation just passed that will mandate a $4/hour minimum wage hike in January. At a time when the cost of goods continues to rise, this unexpected skyrocketing of labor costs presents a sobering trial for many businesses like Aroma trying to stay afloat without raising prices to unsustainable levels. This is a vulnerable economic moment where most people feel financially stretched, and luxury commodities like coffee and dining are being carefully considered.
Staggering as this is, we resolve to face this obstacle with hope and creativity, keeping our eyes on what matters most: our mission of cultivating fullness of life for our community by offering a place to gather, a craft to savor, and an invitation to linger.
We hope that you all feel welcome to come do just that—gather, savor, and linger—with us on Saturday, September 14th, from 4:00 – 7:00 pm for our Annual Birthday Party/Block Party. This event will include a much-expanded version of the Farmer’s Market we’ve been hosting all summer, live music, a Beer and wine Garden, drawings, prizes, and more. Please come and let us honor and celebrate you—friends and family of the Snoqualmie Valley!
